Fence



(No'Model.)

W. A. OWENS.

FENCE.

UNITED vSTATES ATENT il? rufen.

XVILLIAM ALBERT OWENS, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,384, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed October 3l, 1895. Serial No. 567,523. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern."

Be it known that I, VILLIAM ALBERT OWENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fences.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wire fences, and to provide a sim ple and inexpensive one which will be strong and durable and which may be readily and rapidly erected.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for attaching the wires to a fence-post and for enabling' the wires to be readily adjusted vertically to the desired position.

The invention consists in the construction Y and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, FigureV l is a perspective View of a fence constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view. view of one of the adjustable clamps for securing the wires to a post. Fig. t is a similar view showing a clamp adapted to form one of the leaves of a hinge for connecting a gate to the fence.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates vertical fence-posts, preferably consisting of water or gas pipe or similar tubing, and adapted to be readily driven into the ground and having any desired number of longitudinal fence-wires 2 attached to them, and the fence-wire may be barbed or otherwise, or woven-wire fencing can be employed.

The fence-wires are attached to the fenceposts by means of adjustable clamps S, consisting of bands of metal having outwardlybeut terminals at and provided with projecting lugs 5. Each band is preferably constructed of malleable metal, and is of a diameter slightly less than that of the post, in order that it may be slightly spread to receive the post, and the terminals are connected by Fig. 3 is a detail perspective -a bolt 6 or other suitable fastening device which causes the band to clamp the post tightly.

The bolt is preferably engaged with one of the terminals of the band to prevent it from rotating, and its nut is adapted to be engaged by a wrench or other suitable tool to tighten the band. The outwardly-bent ends of the bands are provided with opposite recesses 4a for the reception of the fastening devices. One of the recesses is arranged at the lower edge of one end of the band. The other recess is arranged at the upper edge of the other end of the band, and this construction facilitates the assembling of the parts.

The lug 5 which engages the fence-wire is formed integralwith the band, and is preferably located at the upper edge thereof, and before the band is tightened the wire is placed between the lug and the post, and as the nut engages the post by the rotation of the nut of the fastening device the wire is securely held by the lug 5, which inelines upwardly toward the post to confine the fence-wire.

Vhen it is desired to hinge a gate to a corner-post, which is preferably of slightly greater diameter than the intermediate post, clamps 8 are employed, and are constructed like the clamps 3, but are provided in addition to the construction before described with horizontally-disposed lugs 9, perforated for the reception of a vertical pintle-rod l0, which also passes through similar perforated lugs ll of clamps l2 of a gate 13. The lugs are alined to receive the p intle-rod, and the ends of the latter are threaded for the reception of the nut.

In order to support the posts and to enable them to withstand the strain incident to stretching a wire and to prevent them from turning or leaning, inclined braces lf3 are employed, and are preferably located at the end posts, but may be arranged at any other desired points. Each brace is preferably constructed of tubular metal and is provided at each end with a coupling 14. The couplings are provided with longitudinally-disposed sockets yor openings to receive the ends of the brace and are suitably secured to the same and are each provided with a pair of longitiulinally-disposed arms l5. The coupling at the lower end of the brace has its arms receiving or straddling an anchoringstake 15 and secured thereto by a fastening device 1G, passing through perforations of the arms and the stake 15, the latter being preferably constructed of metal similar to the fenceposts. The coupling at the top of the brace has its arms embracing or straddling the adjacent fence-post and is secured thereto by a fastening device 17, which passes through perforations of the arms of the posts. By this construction the fence-post is firmly supported in an upright position and is prevented from turning or twist-ing under the strain incident to stretching a fence-wire, and the fence wires are prevented from becoming loose or losing any of their tension through movements of the post.

It will be seen that the fence is simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is strong and durable, and that it may be rapidly erected and carried in large quantities with convenience. It will also be apparent that the fence-wires are iirlnlyand ad justably secured to the fence-posts and may readily be moved upward or downward to arrange them at the desired elevation and that the construction for attaching the fence-wires to the posts forms a convenient hinge for attaching a gate to a post.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor `details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim isd 1. In a fence, the combination of an adjustable clamp adapted to embrace a post, and consisting of a band having outwardlybent ends provided with opposite recesses 11, located at the upper edge ot' one of the ends and at the lower edge of the other end, a bolt arranged in the recesses and interloeked with the ends of the band, and a lug adapted to engage a fence wire, substantially as d escribed.

2. In a fence, the combination of a fencepost, a short stake, an inclined brace extending from the post to the stake, couplings arranged at the ends of the brace and comprising longitudinally-disposed sockets receiving the ends of the brace, and arms arranged in pairs, extending longitudinally of the brace and embracing the post and the stake, and means for securing the arms to the post and the stake, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VILIJIAM ALBERT OlVENS.

lVitnesses:

RICHARD lli. FLEMINQ, LUZERNE BULKLEY. 

